A Guide to Passive Vehicle Tracking Systems

A passive vehicle tracking device is one which does not transmit the data on its location while it's being gathered. It stores it on a memory chip pending its arrival at home for a data dump, which can be accomplished either by pulling the unit out of the automobile and hooking it to the computer with a USB cord or by using a wireless transmitter directly to the home base network.

To use a wireless transmitter on a passive vehicle tracking device, the vehicle has to be within range of the network: in the garage, for example. There are many advantages to passive vehicle tracking systems. For one thing, they are quite a lot cheaper than real-time devices; typically costing around $200. Additionally, there's not a need for a service contract, since you don't have the real-time data transmittal to pay for.

Improve Productivity With a GPS Vehicle Tracking System

Furthermore, they give you more records than real-time devices, as they update their GPS coordinates every second. This gives you a vastly more accurate record of speed.The only disadvantage is that there isn't any real-time information, so they can't be used as a vehicle locator in the case of theft. Since this is the major reason most people want a GPS tracking device, be sure you get a real-time system for that purpose.

Passive vehicle tracking devices are sometimes used by car rental agencies to verify what renters did with the car while they had it. They have to inform their customers that they're using this kind of device, so it ends up keeping people honest, besides gathering the data needed for a court case if that were to become necessary.

Vehicle Tracking Systems Basic Buyers Guide

A few vehicle loan companies utilize passive tracking devices to make sure they can find the vehicle if the consumer defaults on the loan. These devices also contain a wireless receiver, so the lender can send instructions to the vehicle to lock the owner out if the payments are late. It wouldn't store data on position or mileage, but could be activated by the lender when necessary.

Many businesses utilize passive vehicle tracking systems on fleet vehicles so they can monitor the activities of the employees who are driving them. This prevents personal errands, long meal breaks and more. When the vehicle returns to the plant at day's end, the supervisors strip and analyze the data, thereby keeping employees honest.